Erik Spoelstra settles on Miami Heat's fifth starter -- for now.

The Miami Heat's annual Red, White & Pink scrimmage offered fans a glimpse into the team's potential for the upcoming season. The standout moment? Bam Adebayo's impressive 3-point shooting, which has fans buzzing about his evolving role on the court.

But if there’s another major takeaway, it’s that Erik Spoelstra is leaning toward making Nikola Jovic the fifth starter.

"He didn’t do anything to not at least have us look at that,” Spoelstra said when asked about Jovic being a part of the projected starting lineup alongside Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro, Jimmy Butler and Adebayo.

Erik Spoelstra didn't give Nikola Jovic a ringing endorsement as the fifth starter, but it's Jovic's job to lose.

Herro didn’t participate in Monday’s scrimmage because of a groin strain that will sideline him for Tuesday night’s preseason opener. With Alec Burks starting in his place, the rest of the Heat starters were intact. 

That included Jovic, whose performance in the scrimmage has kept him in the conversation for a starting spot. Although his stats—seven points, one rebound, and two assists—weren't groundbreaking, his presence on the court was solid enough to maintain his position as a contender for the starting lineup. 

With Jaime Jaquez Jr. also sidelined due to a groin strain, Jovic's competition primarily comes from Haywood Highsmith, though the Heat seem to prefer Highsmith off the bench.

While Spoelstra’s comments aren’t exactly a ringing endorsement, they indicate that the job is Jovic’s to lose (and that, so far, he hasn’t done anything to lose it).

After all, he is the incumbent. Jovic started the Heat’s final 30 games at power forward last season, including five playoff games. Coaches praised his improvement throughout the season, but he had a tendency to float in games and disappear for whole stints.

The Heat tasked Jovic with playing with more physicality in his third season. That includes posting up smaller players, rebounding and setting strong screens. A semi-serious scrimmage isn’t the best place to observe that sort of physicality, but Spoelstra confirmed in his post-scrimmage media session that Jovic is up to 240 pounds this season.

Tuesday night’s preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets will offer more information. Jovic is projected to be part of the starting lineup, and coaches will watch his minutes closely. 

With Jaquez injured, Jovic’s main competition for the job will be on the sidelines. But availability alone won’t be enough to lock down the fifth starting spot long-term.